Nikki Cheng McCain

• Missing Since 05/18/2024
• Missing From Redding, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race Asian
• Date of Birth 11/09/1984 (40)
• Age 39 years old
• Height and Weight 4'11, 110 pounds
• Associated Vehicle(s) Light metallic gray 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck with the disabled license plate number DP154UT (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Asian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Nikki has a tattoo of roses on her left forearm; a photo of it is posted with this case summary. Her ears are pierced. She may use the names Chen Orn Saelee, Nikki Cheng Saelee and/or Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain.

Details of Disappearance

Nikki was last seen in Redding, California on May 18, 2024. After visiting her brother-in-law in the hospital on May 17, she dropped her mother-in-law off at her mother-in-law's residence in Redding Rancheria, a Native American reservation and went home. She later texted her sisters at 12:35 a.m. on May 18 to say she was going to drive back to her mother-in-law's property to drop off her car, a white Chevrolet Tahoe, and that one of her husband's friends would be following her there in order to drive her back home.

She has never been heard from again. She was reported missing on May 21. At the time of her disappearance, she lived on Olinda Road in Anderson, California. She left behind six siblings and four children.

On May 24, Nikki's truck, a light metallic gray 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck with the disabled license plate number DP154UT, was found abandoned in western Tehama County, California; a photo of it is posted with this case summary. Authorities asked for anyone who could identify the driver of a red pickup truck which may have picked up an adult male in the vicinity of Highway 36 near either the R Wild Horse Ranch or the Beegum Gorge Bridge between May 18 and May 25.

Nikki was supposed to appear in court for a settlement conference on June 3, shortly after she disappeared. She planned to divorce her husband, Tyler Scott McCain. Their four children had been removed from their care in 2022, and Nikki wanted to get custody back and move into a new home with them. She was looking at furniture for her anticipated new residence and her sister said she was "really excited". A photo of Tyler is posted with this case summary.

Tyler was facing four felony charges in connection with an incident with Nikki in December 2023: domestic violence, assault, false imprisonment and making criminal threats against her. Nikki told the police he had bound her ankles and wrists and put duct tape over her mouth and beaten her for three hours, and that he intended to kill her. Her sister said when she saw Nikki in the hospital afterwards, she had been so severely beaten that her sister could barely recognize her.

Nikki's sister stated the police had been called to the McCains' residence numerous times since 2020 due to Tyler's violence. He had pleaded not guilty to all the felony charges and claimed his wife sustained her injuries during a fight with someone else. On July 5, 2024, the charges against him were dismissed for lack of a complaining witness.

Nikki's disappearance is being investigated as a homicide. Authorities have identified persons of interest in her case, but have not named these individuals publicly. It remains unsolved.